Armed with Supreme Court’s non-bailable warrant, a team of Lucknow police on Thursday raided the house of Sahara chief Subrata Roy to arrest him, but failed to find him there.

High drama marked the police action as a team of Gomti Nagar police station reached 'Sahara City' housing his residence at about 4.30 pm to execute the warrant and conducted searches inside the residence.

Entry into and exit from the premises, which is spread in over 270 acre, was barred, but the police exercise did not bear fruit. “The team is there to execute the non-bailable warrant issued by Supreme Court,” circle officer, Gomti Nagar, VS Mishra said

“We have searched the premises. Roy was not found there,” he told reporters after coming out of the residence. Another official said they met her mother and doctors, but Roy was not there. Roy's lawyers had told the court on Wednesday that he was on the bed side of his ailing mother.

Asked whether the police searched Sahara hospital, Chauhan said that Roy was not present there either.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Trans Gomti, Habibul Hasan said that police would do whatever it could to execute the NBW issued by the Supreme Court.

Earlier on Thursday, Sahara Group chief Subrata Roy had moved the Supreme Court, seeking cancellation of a non-bailable arrest warrant issued against him and undertook to appear before it on March 4.

The order to arrest Subrata Roy was issued on Wednesday for his failure to appear before the apex court in a contempt case arising out of non-refund of Rs 20,000 crore to investors by two of his companies. The Sahara chief offered unconditional apology to the apex court for his non-appearance.

Roy had also sought recall of the apex court's order in which a non-bailable warrant was issued against him and police was ordered to arrest and produce him before it on March 4.